Transmission damage - Beware

[jumbo]

I leased a new 2011 Genesis sedan a few months ago. After driving BMWs for many years I was looking for something with a somewhat softer ride. I came to the Genesis for the style, quiet ride and certainly the value proposition. After about 5k trouble free miles I now have a problem.

While driving on a short gravel road I hit a bump followed by a pothole, causing the underside of the car to scrape the road surface. This has happened to me dozens of times in my BMWs without issue and the car seemed fine. I drove home without any problem but when I started the car in the morning it wouldn't move. Car towed to dealer. Transmission fluid had drained from a puncture in the transmission fluid reservoir. Service manager said that he has seen this happen several times as the reservoir is made of a composite material rather than metal. Cheaper?

No warning light came on and there was no sign of a problem when I drove home after the scrape. The transmission needs to be completely replaced at a cost of $18,000. The insurance company considered totaling the car but eventually agreed to replacement.

It has now been one month since this incident took place, during which time I have been paying for a rental car. Some of this delay was due to the insurance process but most of it was due to lack of transmission availability. Hyundai refused to take an order for a new one until next Monday. My fingers are crossed!

My issues with Hyundai are as follows:

I believe that using this material on the undercarriage of the car is a mistake, exposing the car to damage. Would love to discuss with Hyundai but have had no reply from Hyundai consumer affairs other than an email saying they sympathize. After second email they called about a week ago and listened to the issue and said they would respond. No reply.

I leased my vehicle using a broker but it came from Antioch Hyundai. Left message with manager a week ago. No reply.

If there is a problem with this vehicle they should address and discuss it openly. Radio silence is not the answer. Why have I had to wait over two weeks to be allowed to place an order for a new transmission? And who knows when it will actually be delivered and installed? No one knows.

While I wait for my car and the answers to my questions I would urge everyone to be very careful where you drive. Believe me, I didn't think I was driving an SUV. Unless you spend 100% of your driving time on the Autobahn you will encounter situations like mine. Don't count on being lucky.

 

[dg_moore]

$18K for a transmission? Surely you heard wrong.

 

[jumbo]

$18,000 is correct. The insurance company has issued the check (minus my deductible). That includes the cost of installation of course. My jaw dropped to the floor.

 

[Mark_888]

The V6 transmission on 2009-2011 Genesis sedan is made by Aisin. The 2012 Genesis now uses a Hyundai designed and built 8-speed transmission for both V6 and V8, so talking about improvements with Hyundai for the Aisin transmission is pretty much useless.

Aisin is a company that was started by Toyota (now about 50% owned by Toyota) to develop RWD automatic transmissions, mostly for their Lexus line. They now sell transmissions to many different automakers. The V6 transmission in the Genesis is a very reliable design that has been around for awhile.

There has been a significant move toward composite materials across the entire industry in order to save weight and improve fuel economy. In other cases the Genesis has aluminium parts (suspension and hood) to reduce weight. Very few (if any) of these moves away from steel is designed to reduce costs, but rather they are to improve fuel economy.

I can understand why your dealer did not want to order a new transmission until the insurance company commits to replacing it (rather than totalling the car). If you don't mind, what insurance company was that?

 

[Cut-Throat]

$18,000 is correct. The insurance company has issued the check (minus my deductible). That includes the cost of installation of course. My jaw dropped to the floor.

If my Genesis was out of Warranty and I had to fork over $18K for a Transmission, I would sooner let it roll off a canyon wall and film it for youtube.

 

[Gambler]

There is no way the $18k only included replacing a transmission, period.

 

[Mark_888]

If my Genesis was out of Warranty and I had to fork over $18K for a Transmission, I would sooner let it roll off a canyon wall and film it for youtube.

For the damage suffered by the OP, it was an insurance claim. Warranty does not cover road hazard damage.

 

[dg_moore]

The transmission in my 1020 3.8 was replaced in the first month of ownership under warranty. The service manager told me that the cost was around $7,500 including labor. How you get from there to $18,000 is beyond me.

 

[GTech]

To the OP,
Look under any newer BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, etc. and most transmissions these days have a composite (i.e. thermoplastic) pan. Nothing new there.

And how do you drive that your apparently routinely bottom the car so hard that the transmission pan hits the road? I can't imagine how that could happen unless you are bombing down a road at 70-80 and take a humongous crater/dip and go flying up and crash down. Crazy.

I would NOT buy an used car from you, that is for sure...

 

[homeofstone]

If a road is that ruff then a lux. car should not be driven on it. Get a large SUV.

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[jumbo]

Mark 888 - Thank you for the infrormation on the Aisin transmission. That is helpful and I wish Hyundai took the time to explain as clearly as you. The insurance company was Mercury and I don't blame them for taking the time to investigate. The local dealer was very helpful, I should add.

Gambler - The only damage was to the transmission. As I said the check has been written. I am not lying to you. Call SF Hyundai if you don't believe me. They have done several of these.

Gtech - You might be right that other vehicles are moving to these new materials. All I know is that I have not had a problem previously. I am apparently far from alone in having suffered this damage to a Hyundai however. I was not, and do not, go "bombing down a road at 70-80 and take a humongous crater/dip and go flying up and crash down. Crazy." I hit a pothole. The Bay Area, and especially SF itself, are full of them.

 

[jailer]

Jumbo.. you want to see some totally unacceptable transmission issues that is ongoing ?? Well... start reading. might take you weeks to get through this..

http://noreverse.org/

Compaints, Page 1. (notice they stopped taking complaints in 09')

http://noreverse.org/complaints.html

 

[Gambler]

My bad, I didn't see you were from San Francisco, $8k was the transmission and $10k was labor.

 

[jumbo]

My bad, I didn't see you were from San Francisco, $8k was the transmission and $10k was labor.

Whatever. I will post a breakdown for you when I get the final bill. If Hyundai will accept our order for a new transmission on Monday, as promised, I hope to have the car back within a couple of weeks. I'm holding my breath.

 

[dg_moore]

My bad, I didn't see you were from San Francisco, $8k was the transmission and $10k was labor.

The labor charge must have included first class round trip airfare for two factory mechanics from Seoul.

 

[jumbo]

The labor charge must have included first class round trip airfare for two factory mechanics from Seoul.

Not sure what the breakdown is between labor and parts. I will post the details when I get them. Since my insurance company is paying it is not really my concern, though it was a shock and part of the reason it took awhile for the claim to be approved.

My concern in writing this post was that this apparently is not an isolated occurrence. Don't know if this is true or not but it is what I was told by someone who should know.

I am concerned that Hyundai has not bothered to answer my questions. I'm concerned that Hyundai told us a week and a half ago that they would not accept an order for a new transmission until this coming week. And even then no promises when they would deliver. The service department has been fine but Hyundai has treated me with complete indifference.

 

[Mark_888]

I'm concerned that Hyundai told us a week and a half ago that they would not accept an order for a new transmission until this coming week. And even then no promises when they would deliver. The service department has been fine but Hyundai has treated me with complete indifference.

If the transmission is not in stock in the USA, then they have to have one shipped from Korea (or maybe directly from Aisin). I am not sure how they ship a transmission from Asia to the USA, but I don't think it is a trivial matter to where promises can be made as to delivery date. If it gets shipped via air freight, shipping cost alone could cost a few thousand dollars. Even shipping from HMA to your dealer is going to be expensive. I suspect that they want to be absolutely sure that your insurance company is going to pay before they do that.

 

[Mark_888]

The labor charge must have included first class round trip airfare for two factory mechanics from Seoul.

As ridiculous as that sounds, it may be close to correct. How many dealer mechanics have replaced a Genesis transmission?

 

[Mark_888]

I was able to look up the price of the Genesis Transmisison via an online parts catalog for 2011 Genesis Sedan. These are firm prices and the parts can be ordered from the website:

Automatic transmission, Transmission
Genesis, 3.8L, From 6/19/08
List Price : $7,856.64
Your Price : $6,285.31

Automatic transmission, Transmission
Genesis, 4.6L, From 2/18/10
Price:$11,859.43 [no discount listed]

Obviously, these prices are for parts only, and do not include shipping. Interesting that apparently the ZF transmission on the 4.6 changed on 2/18/10, while the Aisin transmission for the 3.8 seems to have remained the same for the entire 2009-2011 production run (both replaced by Hyundai 8-speed transmission for 2012 model year).

 

[GTech]

Jumbo, you keep saying that "it is not an isolated incident" what is your basis for that? I can tell you that somehow crashing your car well over a foot and half so that the transmission slams into the road is an extremely isolated incident.
I think you must have a hit a piece of debris, not just a pothole. I still can't fathom how a pothole could do that damage.
What do you want Hyundai to do for you? Call you to say sir next time better buy an armored personnel carrier for your transportation needs or a jacked up 4x4? You keep trying to inply that this is somehow Hyundai's issue that you hit a road hazard, that is some absurd thinking.